Nail clipper, it's a simple and common item but when the performance is poor it really troubles you.
It just a nail clipper but there are various types and qualities. Here below are how to choose and how to cut by types of nail clipper.
Generally the type is divided to compound lever (curved and straight), nipper and scissor.
The most popular is compound lever curved type but actually straight type cutting head is recommended for women and baby, and also for foot nail.
It's not popular to own various type of nail clipper, but hands and foot or hard/soft the nail has also different types. If you care with suitable nail clipper that would be the best care for nails.

​Basically, curved type suit for roundness nail as for hands, and straight suit for foot nail as to cut square.
And here below are the pros and cons of each type.

Compound lever:
Pros; Popular, easy to buy at reasonable price.
Cons; Cut nail will be sharp edge due to press cutting the nail. And also, its tends to cause nail crack.
* Pros of straight head: Easy to view trimming. Distant form your eyes foot nail trimming is also easy. Straight type is not only for foot. As described above its suit for women and baby whose nail is thin and soft. To avoid split and peeling layers, using nail file or straight head (trimming little by little) are recommended. Impact to nail is less than curved type.

Scissor:
Pros; For soft nail.
Cons; Difficult to cut on the corner of the foot nail.

The material of a common nail clipper use steel with overlay, and some cheap are poor sharping and clench. Overlay will fall off someday and damage the cutter head. High class mostly use stainless steel and the processing method by maker has its unique features. (Of course there are exemptions.)
And check the part of lever point. Plastic or metal is related to the strength and durability.

As you may know, Japan cutting tools has a good reputation. Not only cutting performance, the details of designs are very cool. Here below popular high class nail clipper on Rakuten Global that you could buy directly from Japan.